Franz Josef Haydn, arguably Austria’s greatest composer (if not its best) died 200 years ago today. He was the biggest composer of his time, and he basically invented the symphony — and the symphony orchestra — as we know it today. And yet, as the newspaper article above mentions, he’s still an also-ran in his native land, where Mozart is still the number one tourist attraction.
If Mozart had never lived, the world would certainly be poorer, and the “M” section of the Classical bins in the record store would be a lot smaller. But if Haydn had never lived, classical music as we know it would be radically different.
I’m a huge Mozart fan, and I have no problem stating categorically that he had a genius that Haydn simply didn’t match (Haydn himself had no problem saying so either). But Mozart wasn’t an innovator, let alone a revolutionary. He was, simply, the very best at composing within the established style — the style largely established by Haydn.
My Lottery Garage: Austin-Healey 3000 MK III Not necessarily this one, and not a ghastly monstrosity of an Austin-Healey with a blown V8, but a proper one, restored to original condition. There are some British roadsters I’d subject to the resto-mod treatment for added horsepower (like the S(pitfire) 2000), but not this one. Nearly 150 hp at the wheels is plenty for a car that weighs less than a Mini Cooper. (pic via Hemmings)
Girls Rock a Giant Piano If you thought the “Heart and Soul”/”Chopsticks” scene in the movie “Big” was impressive, check out what these guys do with Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (AKA “the creepy organ music in every single movie that’s ever had creepy organ music”). My question is, how the hell do you practice something like that? Do they have one of these babies in their basement or something? (via Cynical-C via Kottke)
And maybe being a day late is a sort of tribute in its own right for the man who said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”
Jonah Weiner’s article in Slate makes an interesting point about the Black Eyed Peas as having a more serious vision than they let on: The Peas have been the hardest-working punch lines in show business for six years, singing ridiculous lyrics, dancing ridiculous dances, and wearing ridiculous pants, all in the name of an unabashedly uncool utopian vision. In the group’s daffy singalongs, as in its multiethnic ranks (the members are African-American, Filipino, Mexican, and Scottish-Irish), we’re meant to glimpse a world in which all races throw down arms, join hands, and possibly do the white-man-overbite dance, too united by common goofiness ever to fight again.
To me, they’re the modern, multiculti version of the B-52’s — the party band for the hipster set, making goofy music for smart and self-aware people. Sure, “My Humps” is a silly, stupid, superficial song — but so is “52 Girls.”
Jilted Journalists Looks like it’s just getting started, but this could be interesting if enough of us find out about it and start contributing info or posting on the forums they’ve already got set up.
A few days ago, I applied to a couple of writing/editing jobs posted on Craigslist, thinking they might be possible prospects. Then I got this e-mail back (header slightly edited):
From: jobs@executivesearchonline.info
To: “Dave Williams”
Subject: Re: Craigslist Job PostingDear Dave,
Thank you for responding to our Job Posting on Craigslist for Writers. Executive Search Online is a firm dedicated to finding high paying positions for qualified applicants–Nationwide.
We are very interested in your application and would like to invite you to visit our website and complete your job profile and submit your resume so that we can move forward with your application.
Once there please press the red button to proceed to complete your application and enter your resume.
We look forward to working with you.
Warm regards,
Executive Search Online Team
This is the letter I sent back:
Dear Executive Search Online Team,
Would you mind telling me which Craigslist “Job Posting” was yours?
I’ve applied for a couple of writing jobs posted on Craigslist recently, and I’m not sure which (if any) was a genuine job search posting rather than a bogus entry from yet another employment website trolling for gullible job seekers.
If you could let me know which “Job Posting” was fraudulent and didn’t represent an actual job opening that I might actually have a chance of getting, that would be great, thanks. I don’t like to hold out false hopes, and I’d like to be able to eliminate your fraudulent “Job” from my list of possibilities.
The Biology of B-Movie Monsters A scientist explains why we don’t have to worry about giant-sized lizards, spiders or whatever. The basic concept really freaked me out when I first heard about it many years ago (in a discussion of some evolutionary concept, I think), and I still have to run the math in my head to remind myself of the reasons why if you took a fruitfly and blew it up to the size of a Buick it wouldn’t fly, while if you took a hippo and reduced it down to the size of a fruitfly it probably would. (via Miss Cellania)
In Haydn’s commemorative year, it’s still — mostly Mozart
Oh, 
A few days ago, I applied to a couple of writing/editing jobs posted on Craigslist, thinking they might be possible prospects. Then I got this e-mail back (header slightly edited):
